Automatic system for stopping-or slowing down trains.



PATENTED DEG. 8, 1903.

` 'J. A. GUERIN. AUTOMATIC SYSTEM TOR STUNNING 0R sLoWING DOWN TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1902.

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Patented Decenlor 8, 1903.

PATEET Omen.

VJULES ALEXANDRE GUERIN, OF ST. MAURICE, FRANCE.

.AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR STOPPING-OR` SLOWING DOWNTRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,499, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed June 3, 1902.

To a/'ZZ whom it mwy'concern:

Be it known that I, JULES ALEXANDRE GUERIN, engineer, of 17 Avenue de Gravelle, St. Maurice, department of Seine, France, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic System for Stopping or Slowing Down Trains, of which the followngis a full, clear, and exact description, and-for which I have applied for Letters Patent in France, dated November 12, 1901.

This invention relates to an automatic system or means for controlling trains in case of necessity for completely stopping or slowing down the speed of a train and to various devices and mechanisms which it may be useful to bring into operation for this purpose, in particular the brakes and devices for effecting the stoppage and reversing the engine.

This system consists, essentially, in the use y of an auxiliary motor carried by4 a vehicle of the train, this motor being normally always impelled to act by the provision of a force which will be aorded generally by a fluid under pressure, this force being` neutralized by the existence of a predetermined counter-pressure which exists at the same time in a pipe having a breakable part placed near the track, so that if a device forming an obstacle be arranged upon the track'itwill be met by the said fragile portion -of `the pipe connected to the said auxiliarymotor, which obstacle will breakit, and 'eecting a fall in the pressure Within the pipe containing the fluid, the pressure of which previously balanced the motor, will automatically cause this motor to be brought into action, and this will act upon the stopping or speed-slacken ing devices, which are thereby operated.

This system is capable of being carried into j serial No. 110,016. (No mais.)

i y permanent way or track. Figs. 3 and 4 show in side and in front elevation the arrangement of the fragile pipe upon a locomotive. Figs. 5 and 6 show the arrangement designed to actuate the reversing-gear of a locomotive. Figs. 7 and 8 show an arrangement for electrically controlling the obstacle device situated on a fixed piece upon the track and serving to effect the breakage of the fragile tube carried by the train.

The auxiliary motorA apparatus shown on Fig. l consists of al cylinder in which a piston B works, the rod b of which is-connected in any suitable manner to the different devices which it is desired to actuate in order to cause the train to Vbe stopped or slowed down. The rod b is of large section, so as to aord a considerable difference between the superficial areas of the two faces of the pist0n. This piston is provided from one side to the other with a passage of very small diameter b. The cylinder A communicates at one end by means of a pipe C with the reservoir of fluid used as the motive agent-for example, a reservoir of compressed air or a receiver of liquid carbonic acid. At its other extremity the cylinder is provided with apipe D, communicating with the fragile tube E, which is to be broken for the purpose of effecting automatically the fallin press u re,an d consequently the movement of the piston B. This tube E, which' will usually be of glass, is arranged in any suitable position upon the train and is so constructed as to be easily and quickly replaceable. For this purpose it is arranged similarly to a gage-glass.. Fig. 2 shows by way of example one arrangement vofthis breakable tube.

Figs. 3 and 4 show by way of example the arrangementof the fragile tube on 'the front of a steam-locomotive. The working of the arrangement is the following: The cylinder A permanently communicates, through tube rO,with the reservoir of fluid under pressure. By means of the small passage b the fluid passes to the other side of the piston. The fluid is thus at the same pressure in the two parts of the cylinder on each side of the Vpiston, as also in the pipe D and fragile tubeE; but since the surface ofthe piston. where it is joined to'rod b is by reason of the surface represented by the section thereof less than IOO that of the other face of the piston the force exerted on this latter is greater than upon the other, and the piston is kept back to the end of the cylinder at the tube C end and remains in this position as long as the original pressure is maintained. Now if vthe tube E is broken the pressure in the cylinder falls suddenly at its end toward D E, and because by reason of the very small section of the passage b there is not time for the piston to be kept yin equilibrium the pressure upon the face of the piston upon the side of the rod b forces the piston toward the other endnamely, toward the tube D. The piston by means of its rod b thus puts into action any device which it is wished to control, such as the cock upon the brake-pipe.

I donot describe a mechanical arrangement for this purpose, for I do not restrict myself to any special arrangement, and it will be understood that a workman having at his disposal the motor formed by the aforesaid cylinder can effect the connection of this motor with the parts to be controlled in a variety of ways,which will depend upon the special conditions of application. These parts, in fact, may differ according to the nature of the method of traction and the type of locomotive employed. They may be, for instance, a compressed-air brake, a vacuum-brake, the reversing-gear or throttle-valve of a steamengine, controller of an electric locomotive or self-propelling vehicle.

Two fragile tubes might be placed at different positions and two obstacle devices be placed upon the track at a certain distance one from the other, these corresponding with the two fragile tubes, so as to eect, iirst, a slowing down and then a stop.

I wish to point out that I do not limit myself strictly to this motor, for various arrangements fulfilling the same purpose may be included under the principle of my invention. Thus, for instance, I might make use of a piston without the passage b, the piston being acted upon not by a liuid but by a powerful spring, the pressure of the fluid acting upon only the other face of the piston to counterbalance the action of the aforesaid spring.

Figs. 5 and 6 show by Way of example a mechanical arrangement upon a steam or a compressed-air locomotive which allows of an automatic manipulation of the reversing-gear by the control of the aforesaid auxiliary motor, while at the same time freely permitting manipulation by hand, as usual. According to this arrangement the shaft F of the screw controlling the slide of the reversing-gear is itted with a bevel-pinion f, gearing with a bevel-wheel G, which by means of a pinion g and a double intermediate gear-wheel h H is connected to aspur-wheel I, fast to a drum or connected, by means of any suitable intermediate connections, to the rod b of piston B of the motor. By means of this arrangement the reversing-gear can be manipulated by hand in the ordinary manner-that is, in a steam-locomotive the mechanism for changing the direction is controlled automatically by the system which forms the subject of the present invention in case of rupture of the fragile stem; but under other and ordinary conditions it is operated in the usual manner. When the auxiliary motor makes its stroke, the rod K draws along, by means of the fork 7c, the block j, and thereby the cord J, which arrangement effects the rotation of the pulley 1l and of the various gear-wheels leading up to the shaft F. This working can take place whatever be the position of the block j-that is to say, whatever be the position in which the reversing-gear may be.

As regards the device which acts as an obstacle upon the track for the purpose of breaking the fragile tube E its arrangement and operation are variable. This device may be controlled either mechanically7 or electrically.

Figs. 7 and 8 show by way of example an electrical controlling arrangement. This comprises two electromagnets L and M, placed opposite one another. In the space between the poles of these Z 'm is an armature fn, fast to a lever N, pivoted upon a horizontal axis n. This lever at one of its ends engages in an opening in a vertical plate or strip P, of suitable strength, guided in a support p. At its other end the lever is furnished with an adj ustable counterweight n2. This upstanding projection P forms the obstacle device. At its two ends the lever N is provided with two projections nsns, by means of which it can be latched to hooks O O, forming armatures arranged to face the poles Z m/ of the electromagnets.

Itis to be understood that when the current is sent into either the electromagnet L or M the armature n is attracted by the one or other of these and the lever N assumes the position of X or X', raising or lowering the projection P, which is to form the obstacle in the path of the fragile tube carried by the train. In one or lthe other of these positions the lever is latched by the corresponding hook O, and when the lever passes to the other position the electromagnet L or M, which effects this movement,attracts its hook O,which is consequently unlatched from the lever, and thus enables the latter to rise at that end.

The lever N is connected to two springs of equal strength n4 n4, by means of which it tends to be brought back into equilibrium between the two electromagnets, so as not to be indiferent, too movable, and sensitive to vibrations resulting from the passing of trains.

In Figs. 3 and 4t I have shown by way of example an engine furnished with a fragile tube just reaching the obstacle formed by the projection P. Such an electrical arrangement can be controlled by the ordinary signal-sta- IOC connected to the piston of a size sufficient to cause a considerable difference in the superficial area of the two faces of said piston and avholloW breakable device in communication with the opposite end of said cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my.

naine to this specic'ation in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JULES ALEXANDRE GUERIN.

Witnesses: t

GUs'rAvE DUMONT, EDWARD P. MACLEAN. 

